If You Dream It Will It Happen?

What are the meaning of dreams? I'm sure there are scientists and physicians who have studied the topic extensively and would most definitely have an opinion. There might be those who believe in the more spiritual side of dreams and believe them to be a connection with our inner soul; perhaps trying to tell us something. Sometimes dreams are memories. Sometimes they are fantasies. Sometimes, depending on what we had for dinner, they could be REALLY out there and confusing (just ask my daughter; she once had a dream that involved dancing green beans).

Often, my dreams are a reflection and continuation of whatever I was thinking about before I dozed off. That could be good or bad, depending on the kind of day I'd had. If I'm working on a creative project and over thinking something, my dreams can take me in a direction of the different possibilities. That can be a good thing IF it helps me come to a conclusion.

Some dreams can be nightmares; they can be scary and overwhelming, often caused by fear, stress or doubt. When we're worried we find that our dreams take us down paths of distractions and gloom. We imagine the what ifs and the worse case scenarios; kind of the 'glass is half empty' type of dream. There's always that dream where you feel like you are falling and jerk yourself awake right before you hit the bottom.

So ... do you think dreams are real? Do they have any major significance other than helping us pass the time when we're sleeping? I am neither a psychologist nor a scientist, so I wouldn't presume to know for sure. However, I can say that last week when I woke up in the morning with a stiff shoulder and a tight neck, it may have had something to do with the yellow piece of paper I had accidentally knocked over and behind my desk and the 2 hours during the night I spent contorting my body trying again and again to reach, BUT I could be wrong.

When was the last time you had a dream that you thought was real or insightful? Was it helpful? Do you dream about accomplishing a personal goal? Do you dream about finding that someone special you've been looking for? Personally, I constantly have dreams where I am playing with some of the most adorable, furry little puppies, but sadly so far I haven't gotten one. 

Cookie Cutters Are Best Left In The Kitchen

Cookie cutters are a great invention. Anyone can express their creativity in the kitchen with a cut out for any shape. You can honor every holiday, a birthday, a graduation, a new house, or tell someone you love them simply by pressing that special cookie cutter into some dough and then decorating it so that it is just the way YOU want it to be. But cookie cutters are best left in the kitchen.

 

People are not cookie dough, although their personalities can be sticky at times and things can get messy. Employees can not be duplicated to perform the same. Students will not all learn in similar ways. A lot of 'things' can be mass produced in a factory on a conveyor belt and they will appear to be the same, but people are different. People are unique. We look different, we behave and react different, and we process everything differently. A factory can create a product where the outcome will basically be the same because there are NO variations, but service-related industries will never have the same result. Why? Because people are directly involved. Sure, a company can have a goal of how their customer service should perform, but there are too many unknown factors. The customer may have had a bad experience with the company. The customer service rep may not be fully knowledgeable of the company's product or service and unknowingly give the customer the wrong information.

 

This week I attended a college lecture given by Henry Winkler (actor, writer, producer, etc., but best known to many as 'The Fonz' from the TV show 'Happy Days'). It was an interesting lecture with many great insights. He talked about his career, about his family, about his struggles with dyslexia, and his personal experiences with learning. Everyone has issues and things they must overcome in their lives, but he didn't discover his dyslexia til he was in his early 30s. Until then he was told constantly that he was dumb, he was stupid, he was lazy, and he would never amount to anything. His teachers couldn't (or didn't) help him; neither did his parents. But he didn't give up. He had dreams and goals and was determined to find a way to achieve them. He talked about today's education and the need and importance to try and reach each student where they are.

 

We've all known that student (perhaps we were that student) who tried and tried and tried to get through a particular subject at school, but found themselves struggling. I am certainly not going to blame the teachers, but believe it or not even teachers are human. As with any profession, some teachers are great and some are not. Today's schools have limitations though, as do many areas of life (businesses included). It is easy to understand why in a classroom of 30+ students some will be at the top of the learning curve and some will be at the bottom AND some will get lost in the middle. It is frustrating for any human being though, whether they are a young student in the classroom or an adult working at their job, to feel overwhelmed because they are yearning to learn and do a great job, but the system seems to be fighting them.

 

People cannot be treated like a product created by a shiny silver cookie cutter. We will never be perfect, nor will we be identical. We will all have our flaws, but if given some personal attention we will thrive. My advice? Leave the cookie cutters in the kitchen and save them for when you're feeling creative and want to impress someone. For everything else, stop and listen to what people are REALLY trying to say and perhaps assist them in getting to where they are trying to go.

What are your six words?

Last week I was meeting with a group of women. We were given the task of describing our life in just six words. The six words could be random, descriptive words OR they could be placed strategically together to summarize your life.

Could you do it? What six words would you use?

 

Sometimes I think too much, too hard, and definitely for too long (lol, now you know a little more about me). When I was given the opportunity, six words instantly swirled around in my head and formed an idea ... drum roll, please ... A NEVER ENDING JOURNEY OF CHANGE. Yep, those were my six words.

 

In an ideal world I would always have a plan, a To Do list with a place for neat little check marks, and I would always feel like I was doing my best, being super-productive, and always, always getting the job done. Ha! Then reality hits my ideal little corner; my protected bubble of space where I imagine nothing bad, or inconvenient, or uninvited will ever work its way in. Indeed, my illusions are shattered almost daily.

 

Life happens. People get sick and require your help. Co-workers leave their positions and your assistance is needed during the transition. Outside obstacles get dumped directly in your path of things YOU want to accomplish. It doesn't mean your dreams and goals always get squashed, but it's not unheard of that they will temporarily get delayed or even postponed for a little while.

 

When this happens, what can you do to not lose sight of your plans? How do you be what everyone else needs you to be and still remain true to yourself? That would be the million dollar question; one that if I had the answer to it I could help A LOT of people. There are some simple things we can do, like make an idea board. Create something visual so that every time you look at it you can't help but be reminded of what your goal is. Perhaps keep a journal; remembering what you are working towards, what is getting in your way, and what you can do to still move forward (if even in baby steps). Moving forward is always better than moving backward. It's not about the size of step, it's more about the direction that you are going.

 

I've had more than my share of CHANGE in my lifetime. I've had dysfunctional family relationships to overcome, I've battled a disease, I've invested my heart and soul into a solid marriage, I've raised two great kids (with my better half), I've been on financial roller coasters over the years thanks to the economy and change, and the list goes on ... but I am here now and I'd like to think that I am strong enough to overcome whatever life deals me. What are my goals and dreams? That's a funny thing. I have them now, but they look a lot different than they did 10 or even 20 years ago. Most likely they will look even more different in another 10 years, but I will keep facing forward trying not to worry so much about the slow pace.

 

I'd love to know ... what would your six words be?